El Mayo Zambada, Mexican Drug Lord, Claims He Was Ambushed and Abducted Before Extradition to the US
MEXICO CITY—Mexican drug cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada claimed he was ambushed and abducted under false pretenses by his lawyer in a letter released on Saturday.
Zambada stated that he was tricked into attending a meeting with local politicians, including Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya, where he was immediately abducted and taken to the United States by Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of imprisoned Sinaloa drug cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Following the revelation, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico confirmed the forced transfer of Zambada to Texas in July.
Although the letter raised concerns about ties between drug traffickers and politicians in Sinaloa, Governor Rocha denied any involvement with the criminals.
“There is no complicity with crime,” Rocha emphasized at an event in Culiacán.
Zambada’s letter did not implicate Governor Rocha in the abduction but mentioned the presence of Héctor Melesio Cuén, who was reportedly killed on the same day.
In August, Zambada appeared in U.S. federal court after being taken into custody in Texas.
The sudden arrest of Guzmán López and Zambada shocked U.S. officials, who had minimal forewarning of their arrival at an airport near El Paso.
It is suspected that Guzmán López intended to surrender and brought Zambada along to secure favorable treatment, although his motives remain unclear.
Zambada, known as the Sinaloa cartel’s strategist, has been involved in ongoing conflicts with rival factions within the cartel.
He faces multiple drug trafficking charges in the U.S. and is described as the primary leader of the criminal enterprise responsible for importing narcotics into the country.
By María Verza
